Kwenthrith
Queen Kwenthrith is the determined and seductive Princess of Mercia. Biography History Princess Kwenthrith is the daughter of the late King Offa of Mercia. She is also the sister of the late Prince Kenelm, who's since been sainted by the pope, and Burgred, who is fighting with her uncle, Brihtwulf, to prevent Kwenthrith from claiming Mercia as her own. She claims that her uncle Brihtwulf began raping her at the age of 6 and that he would bring other men to her so that they might, as she puts it, 'enjoy the pleasure of having sex with a child'. Her uncle also forced her to have sex with her brother Kenelm when she was 12. After his father died, Kenelm took the Mercian throne. Unfortunately, the young King died and rumors abound that the princess killed Kenelm, which set off a nasty civil war, herself being one of the leading claimants to the Mercian crown. Season 2 Princess Kwenthrith is introduced arriving at King Ecbert's castle. He realizes the advantage of influencing Mercia's future, and seeks to ally himself with the princess, at least for the time being. He welcomes her to Wessex with a grand feast, where she engages Athelstan in conversation about his experiences among the Northmen. Kwenthrith proceeds to ask the flustered monk about the liberal sex life of the Northmen, and how much more "natural" it seems. She later shares King Ecbert's bed, though he is unfortunately finished (and quite exhausted) before the princess has had enough. The king sends in three of his guards in an attempt to satisfy her seemingly insatiable sexual appetite. When King Ecbert hires a company of Vikings as mercenaries, after a stunning victory against them in battle, the princess strolls through the ranks, remarking that she would like to breed with them, that she would certainly produce "giants" with such men. Season 3 When Ragnar returns to Wessex, King Ecbert asks him to fight for Princess Kwenthrith so that she may claim Mercia and the crown. Ragnar is uninterested in helping her and tells the King that this was not part of their treaty. Nevertheless, he agrees to help. Not one to sit idly, Princess Kwenthrith joins Ragnar and his warriors as they seek out her brother and uncle. She promises Ragnar that he can offer her something special should he follow through in his task. The Northmen find the Mercians with large armies on each side of an expansive river; Ragnar decides to take on her uncle, confusing Burgred who does not understand why they are not attacking both sides. A bloody battle ensures, leaving Brihtwulf dead. Princess Kwenthrith, heavily intoxicated and wildly pleased with her uncle's death, asks Ragnar for his head, to which he agrees. Ragnar learns that her uncle used to rape her and would not stop despite her cries. The princess happily takes the head and stabs it over and over again, finally free of him. The increasing sexual tension between Ragnar and Kwenthrith is finally realized after Ragnar safely recovers her brother, Burgred, as promised. Though Ragnar warns her that her brother is weak and that he could cause her downfall. After receiving a wound during battle, Kwenthrith decides to urinate on it to help sterilize the area. The two have sex in a field after her unusual act. At a grand feast held by King Ecbert, Princess Kwenthrith decides that her brother is no longer needed - she poisons his drink, which lends itself to the entire dinner party pouring out their drinks as well. It is clear that the princess will be no one's pawn and fully intends to take Mercia for herself. She decides to rule Mercia alone, breaking her arrangement with King Ecbert and killing the Wessex nobles that had been sent to monitor her. The king sends his son, Aethelwulf, to Mercia to try to reason with her. She uses her charm and sex to try to take advantage of Aethelwulf, though he manages to rebuff her. She reveals to him instead a baby boy, Magnus, whose presumed father is Ragnar. She claims that Ragnar will protect her and her son, though Aethelwulf does not believe her. None of the assassinated Wessex nobles had ever reported that she was with child. Aethelwulf informs her that he is fully aware that his father is using him and acknowledges that he will likely be killed by Kwenthrith and that his father will use his death as a pretext to invade Mercia. This threat seems to chasten Kwenthrith and she accedes to Aethewulf's demands. Trivia * Kwenthrith appears to be based on a Mercian princess by the name of Cwenthryth. Unlike the series depiction of her, Cwenthryth was the daughter of King Coenwulf (reigned 796–821 AD), distant cousin to King Offa of Mercia (reigned 757-796 AD). Cwenthryth was the reigning Abbess of Minster-in-Thanet in Kent, which was a source of contention between King Coenwulf of Mercia and the Archbishop Wulfred of Canterbury, over the issue of whether religious houses should be controlled by clergy or lay-nobility. Cwenthryth was, however, the sister of Saint Kenelm. * The name Cwenthryth (Kwenthrith) likely means 'woman of power'. * There was a daughter of King Offa of Mercia called Eadburh who Kwenthrith also appears to be loosely based on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eadburh: 'Eadburh (Old English: Ēadburh), also spelled Eadburg, (fl. 789-802) was the daughter of King Offa of Mercia and Queen Cynethryth. She married Beorhtric, king of Wessex from 787 to 802, in 789. Offa was then the most powerful king in England, and Beorhtric gained his support as a result of the marriage. According to Asser, Eadburh became all powerful, and often demanded the executions or exile of her enemies. She was also alleged to have assassinated those men whom she couldn't compel Beorhtric to kill through poisoning their food or drink. In 802, according to Asser, Eadburh attempted to poison a young favourite of the king but instead killed both of them. The young man may have been called Worr, as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the death of both men shortly before the succession of Egbert, the grandfather of Alfred the Great, as king of Wessex' Appearances Category:Female Characters Category:Season 2 Characters Category:Season 3 Characters Category:Season 4 Characters Category:Anglo-Saxons Category:Queens Category:Princesses